


The Belarusian Bitch Job

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds, Leverage
Genre: Case Fic, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-08
Updated: 2012-09-08
Packaged: 2017-11-13 19:09:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/506744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“That would actually be a dumb move.  A man who can't be caught by the best law enforcement agencies in the world doesn’t make dumb moves.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Belarusian Bitch Job

**Author's Note:**

> I would love for this to continue but I don’t know if it will. Case-fic is my nemesis. This came to me, I wrote this beginning, and it does stand alone. If there is to be more, I will write it and post it as it comes. I'm just proud of writing this much. The title is not meant to offend anyone who might be from Belarus.

It was raining but Hotch put down the big, black umbrella as they walked into the Georgetown Diner. He looked around, scanning faces, but Emily was already moving toward another brunette who stood when she walked in. Hotch got to them just as they were hugging.

“Look at you.” Emily said. “You're more beautiful than the last time I saw you. Why do I like you so much? I should absolutely hate you.”

“Oh please, look at that flawless skin. Get rid of the federal agent clothes, put on a designer dress, and we’re right back in Ibiza.”

“Let us not talk about Ibiza.” Emily rolled her eyes. Then she smiled. “Forgive my lack of manners. Hotch, this is my old acquaintance…what the hell do you go by these days?”

“I'm still Sophie Devereaux, most of the time.” She extended her hand.

“Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner.” He shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“This is my partner, Nate Ford.”

Hotch and Prentiss shook Nate’s hand and they all sat down in the booth. When the server arrived, the FBI agents just ordered coffee.

“You really do look fabulous.” Sophie said.

“It’s been a really long time. Thank you so much for your help in Paris.” 

“Don’t be silly…I'm sure I owed you for something. How’s Declan?”

“He’s good.” Emily followed her clipped answer with clearing her throat.

“I don’t want to interrupt the walk down memory lane but I'm sure we weren't invited here just for that.” Hotch said. He knew Sophie had to know a lot more about Emily than most people if she knew about Declan. He was going to try not to be a jealous bastard about that. He managed a smile when his coffee arrived.

“What does the name Alexander Muscavage mean to you?” Nate asked.

“Damn.” Emily mumbled. “He's here in the States?”

“Yeah.” Sophie nodded.

“Can someone fill me in?” Hotch asked. 

Why did Emily even bring him here if they were going to speak in riddles and dance around subjects? He was a very busy man who didn’t have time for that. But Emily was adamant about this meeting. They weren't supposed to do things like this. 

Congress was supposedly watching their every move. But when his team needed him, Hotch was there. Emily said she needed him today. He wasn’t there when she needed him the most and Hotch never planned to make that mistake again.

“Alexander Muscavage is an alias.” Emily said, sipping her coffee. “He's an international financier who specializes in import and export.”

“The problem is that he likes to import and export women and children.” Sophie finished.

“He's a baby broker?” Hotch asked.

“A sex trafficker.” Emily replied.

“And in his spare time he likes to torture and kill women.” Sophie said.

“Allegedly.” Nate added. “He's worse than Teflon; nothing has ever been traced back to him. He surely has healthy files with the FBI and Interpol.”

“He’s been on Interpol’s radar for at least 20 years.” Emily said. “Muscavage has his hands in a lot of different pots but the sex trade has always been his bread and butter. Unfortunately, it never gets old. Soph, what are you into?”

“We have a client out of Boston whose sister and cousin were taken against their will. They're 13 and 16 years old.”

“Why weren't the police contacted?” Hotch asked. “Their faces could be plastered all over the country before dinnertime. Missing children are big news and a federal priority.”

“They're Romanian immigrants on expired visas.” Nate replied. “He doesn’t usually snatch girls whose families call the police or put out Amber alerts.”

“They could be halfway to Tashkent by now.” Emily said.

“No, he has business in New York in ten days. He hasn’t left the country; he's decided to take a little vacation.” Sophie said.

“That doesn’t mean the girls are still with him.” Hotch said. “That would actually be a dumb move. A man who can't be caught by the best law enforcement agencies in the world doesn’t make dumb moves.”

“You think they're for his personal collection?” Emily asked.

“Yes.” Nate nodded. “He likes them young, thin, and blonde. If he kept them for himself we either have very little time or enough of a window to run a good con.”

“You're talking in riddles again.” Hotch said.

“I think we have time.” Sophie said. “He doesn't have a comfortable place to do his thing. I wouldn’t say the girls are safe but they’re most likely alive. At least they are for now. They’ve been gone for about 48 hours.”

“You don’t even need that much time to run a good con.” Emily said. “Isn't that right, Mr. Ford?”

“I don’t know what…”

“I heard about the bottle job you pulled off on Mark Doyle to save McRory’s Bar in Boston.”

“How did you hear about that?” Nate asked.

“Let’s just say that Mark is someone I know from a long time ago. I also have as many friends in low places as I do in high.”

Hotch looked at her. He would be OK if he never heard the name Doyle again. There was no way to be sure that Mark was related to Ian, it was a popular last name. But if Emily knew him “a long time ago” it seemed plausible. Mr. Ford might want to be careful about who he messed with. Doyles had long memories and rarely played fair.

“Why did you call us here?” he asked. “I think its time to cut to the chase.”

“Surely the FBI wants Muscavage.” Sophie said. “He's a sex trafficker who leaves nothing but pain and loss in his wake. We thought you might want the collar because we intend to take him down.”

“How do you plan to do that?” Emily asked.

“We’re going to pull the Double Trouble con. We’re heading to New York tonight; there's a cop out of Manhattan SVU…”

“Olivia Benson.” 

“You know her, Agent Prentiss?” Nate asked.

“She's one of the best and has helped us on a few cases.” Hotch replied.

“Her undercover skills are above par.” Emily said. 

“If you have the NYPD then you don’t need us. We’re not into territorial pissings and that’s what always happens when we go to New York. It’s not the street cops; it’s the guys in the offices. They’ll eat up the headline…we don’t need it.”

“The truth is that we need you more than you need us.” Nate said.

“That’s what I gathered.” Hotch said.

“Sophie…”

“Emily please, you know I would never ask if I wasn’t desperate. We can pull off a con; you can pull off a miracle.”

“What is she talking about?” Hotch looked at Emily.

“She's talking about the Belarusian Bitch and its not happening. What in God’s name would make you think I ever want to go there again?”

“Maybe because there are teenage girls’ lives at stake.” Nate replied.

“You shut up.” Emily snapped. “You don’t know a damn thing about it so just shut up.”

“Prentiss,” Hotch put his hand on her shoulder. This conversation was getting more confusing and unpleasant by the second and Hotch was done.

“Agent Prentiss, you're not the only one with friends in high and low places. I didn’t mean to upset you. Sophie told me that you could help. I didn’t come here to open old wounds or to be turned down.”

“Just think about it Emily.” Sophie said. “We have a little time but not much. The Triple Threat is a better con. We get the girls back and we take down Muscavage.”

“And you forget you ever met me.” Emily said.

“If I have to.” Sophie nodded.

“If I do this you will. I mean it Sophie, you had better be on your deathbed or in a Siberian prison cell if you're on my phone.”

“I understand.”

“I need to think about it.” Emily got up from the table and walked away.

“Just call me.” Sophie called after her.

“I have no idea what just happened here and I don’t like that.” Hotch said.

“You're going to have to talk about it with Emily.” Sophie said.

“And your friendship is worth destroying for one client?” he asked.

“Emily and I aren’t exactly friends. They're hard to acquire and keep in my line of work, Agent Hotchner. Let’s just say we've known each other for a long time and have helped each other out on occasion.”

Hotch just shook his head and got up from the booth as well. He definitely preferred to talk to Emily about this instead of two strangers. Not that she had been so open with him lately. Their relationship seemed as if it was irrevocably damaged. 

In the field it was the same as always. He kept more of an eye on her but Agent Prentiss was back. Emily was changed, probably forever, and all the things in her life she had before Valhalla came roaring back in were never going to be the same. That included her relationship with her Unit Chief.

He left the diner, walking in their rain to the SUV parked at the end of the block. Emily was standing outside of it smoking a clove. He knew she had to be unnerved if she was doing that in the middle of the afternoon. He ducked under the umbrella, gently taking it from her hand. He was taller and holding it was better than crouching.

“What just happened, Emily?”

“I don’t want worlds colliding anymore.” She shook her head. “I don't know what I was thinking even agreeing to this. Sophie has a way of pulling me into things I don’t necessarily want to be a part of. But I know she’s changed and I thought it I could help someone…”

Emily didn’t finish, she just took a deep inhale of her clove. The past was never going to die. The coffin had been exhumed and pried open. All of the bad memories flew out like bats in a lit cave. She didn’t want this; Emily wanted her old life back. The wrong coffin was buried when she returned from Paris. Emily was trying to exhume it with her bare hands.

“We’ll just go back to Quantico. We’ll go back to work.”

“I'm a little off my game right now.” she finished her clove, smashing it under her boot. “I don’t think going back to the office is a good idea.”

“Tell me what you need.” Hotch said.

“I need you to grow that beard back, Aaron.” Emily’s smile was sad when she said it.

He slipped his arm around her neck, pulling her to him. It had been months since they were intimate. Emily didn’t come to him and Hotch didn’t initiate. He wanted to, missed her something terrible, but nothing was the same. It seemed as if it was about to get even more complicated. 

He didn’t know anything about Sophie Devereaux or the Belarusian Bitch. One thing he learned over the past year was that there were things he didn’t know about Emily Prentiss. He wasn’t going to allow her to put herself in danger anymore. She did that enough in the BAU.

There were other people working on this case. They didn’t need Emily to get it done. She’d been through enough and wasn’t even on the other side of it yet. Hotch knew he definitely wasn’t on the other side of it. Losing her again was out of the question for all of them. Aaron may have already lost her but Hotch would always have her back.

“We need to get back to Quantico.” He kissed her forehead. “We’ll take the scenic route.”

“Yeah, alright.”

Emily nodded as Hotch unlocked and opened the passenger door for her. She needed to take deep breaths. Deep breaths, maybe another clove, some more coffee, and Emily would get on with her day. She really wanted to help but doing it at her own expense was something Emily should've stopped doing a long time ago.

***


End file.
